


Something Wicked

by ZuviosGemini



Category: Gorillaz
Genre: Body Horror, Budding Love, Friends to Lovers, M/M, demon murdoc, monster au, monster murdoc, timeline differs from canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-11
Updated: 2017-07-11
Packaged: 2018-11-30 22:56:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11473383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZuviosGemini/pseuds/ZuviosGemini
Summary: 2D accidentally discovers a secret that Murdoc's been keeping for more than twenty years. [more tags will be added as story progresses]





	Something Wicked

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Edgebug](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Edgebug/gifts).



> TUMBLR: http://elderyautjavegeta.tumblr.com/  
> TWITTER: @zuviosgemini
> 
> Thought up this idea after thinking about how cool a reptilian demon would be, and of course I thought of Murdoc, and everything just snowballed from there. Chapter stories and the commitment that comes with them scare me now, but I think everything will fit better if I put it as a chapter story. That way you guys can yell at me if I'm taking too long. PLEASE DO SO, I AM HORRIBLE AT KEEPING UP WITH STORIES.
> 
> Thanks goes to user edgebug for helping build this AU world and for bouncing ideas back and forth over many hours on Skype. They are my Gorillaz muse, beta reader, and AU building co-pilot. I love them and you should too.
> 
> One final note: I've read and re-read this several times, and obsessed over every detail. This is my second Gorillaz/2doc fic and it means a lot to me, so I hope you all enjoy reading as much as I have enjoyed writing it, and I hope you all enjoy the chapters to come. Edgebug and I have thought up some REALLY cool ideas and I can't wait to share them!

Murdoc was at his most mellow when he was playing his bass, which meant rehearsals usually went smoothly, but 2D noticed during one practice that Murdoc was acting strange. He seemed to be pretty out of it, and he kept rubbing at his neck and wiping sweat from his forehead whenever they stopped playing. 2D didn’t think it was that hot in the studio, but Murdoc looked like he was going to pass out, sitting there in the corner slumped over and rubbing at his neck, sweat dripping down his nose. In spite of looking like he was ready to vomit however, he stood up when they started playing again, continued to play along, never missing a note, and eventually 2D shrugged it off.

That is, until Murdoc finally faltered in the middle of a song. The three other band members stopped when they finally heard a sour bass note, and turned their attention to their bassist. Murdoc had let go of El Diablo, which thankfully just dropped lifelessly and hung by its shoulder strap, and was covering his entire face with his hand, fingers curling into his bangs as he sucked in a harsh breath.

“Murdoc? Are you okay?” Noodle asked, putting down her guitar.

“Yeah… yeah I’m fine, just need to go lie down for a moment,” Murdoc mumbled, looking greener than usual. He took a step back and pulled El Diablo off his shoulder, setting it none too gently on its stand. Still clutching his head, he turned to leave but he swayed slightly. Noodle reached out to steady him but pulled her hand back when Murdoc jerked away from her.

“No don’t touch me!” Murdoc yelled, his eyes full of panic. Noodle’s hurt expression burned itself into his brain as he hurried from the room, the aching in his hands and head getting worse.

“Don’t come upstairs.” Murdoc said before slamming the studio door. The long trek to the upstairs rooms was damn near agonizing, and Murdoc ended up on his knees once or twice on the spiral staircase, clutching his head and gasping in pain. Why did he choose to live like Princess Freaking Fiona, in the highest room, in the tallest tower?

When he reached the locked room at the top, he was all but crawling on his hands and knees. The door swung shut behind him and he collapsed in the middle of the floor, panting and curling up.

“Dammit,” he snarled to himself, “stupid, you waited too long again.”

Downstairs, Noodle, 2D, and Russel were all looking at each other with concern. Murdoc never yelled at Noodle. He yelled at 2D regularly and had been known to snap at Russ on occasion, but he NEVER yelled at Noodle, not even when he was at his most waspish.

“What if he’s really sick?” Noodle was saying as 2D stared at the studio door. His vision was always kind of blurry, but he could swear the doorknob had steam coming off of it…

“Someone should check on him,” Russ suggested, twirling a drumstick in one hand, resting his chin in the other. “Make sure he ain’t asphyxiating on his own puke or something.”

The sentence would have sounded unnecessarily harsh from anyone else, but 2D nodded, patting Noodle on the arm.

“I’m sure he didn’t mean t’ hurt your feelings, Noodle. He looked pretty sick, so I’ll go check on ‘im, even though he said not to. I don’ mind if he yells at me.”

2D had only been up to the fourth floor a handful of times. Murdoc had basically claimed it for himself when they moved in and told everyone to stay away from it, waving off the protests of ‘but you already picked out your room!’. 

“Don’t be ridiculous. I need more than one room for all my treasures,” Murdoc had said, having none of it and going upstairs, knowing no one would dare follow him.

2D had gotten really brave once (after Noodle double dared him of course) and gone upstairs into Murdoc’s secret domain. There hadn’t been much up there except a spare room and a room that was locked. He eventually got curious again and the second time he went up, the locked door was open. Nothing much to see there either except some suspicious stains on the wooden floorboards, a huge bed with a single comforter on it, a large chest freezer, and several empty bottles of booze. The only really suspicious thing was the huge bathtub in the corner. It was more like a swimming pool with a faucet attached really, and 2D wondered how Murdoc had built it without them all noticing.

The large floor-to-ceiling circle window overlooking the forest around the house let in some light, but the room still looked and felt extremely dark and the general emptiness gave 2D the creeps. He also didn’t like how the huge floor stain looked. After all, Murdoc never really answered questions about possibly sacrificing things to Satan, so who knew what went on up in this room. 2D didn’t ever venture upstairs again, so needless to say, his stomach was flip flopping nervously as he stared up at the long spiral staircase.

Murdoc looked at his shaking hands, watching his long nails grow longer and turn black, fusing with the skin of his fingers. Grunting in pain, he pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes, feeling the pressure continue to grow behind them. It was so hot, he was so goddamn hot, Christ, he was on fire… If Noodle had touched him, she would have burned her hand on his skin. He already knew the doorknobs in the studio would need to be replaced.

With some effort, he sat up and tore off his shirt, throwing it away from him. He shucked off his boots next, and then his pants, socks, and underwear as well. The heat only got worse, and he forced himself to his feet, wheezing. He knew what was coming next. Best to meet that standing up.

The heat sitting in his spine exploded into pain and he hunched over with a growl, feeling the bone pressing up and out of his back, protruding into hard spikes that continued up the length of his spine. His hands were full claws now, big and scaly and horribly sharp. He put them to good use, tearing at his back to get the skin off the spines. Chunks of bloody skin and fat slid to the floor with a disgusting plop.

His ankles and heels cracked out of place and reformed higher up on his leg. His toes melded themselves together into four bigger toes, and then the claws for those started to form as well. He fell to his knees again, balling up his fists and scratching grooves into the wood. More skin fell off of his legs and body, piling around him. The worst was yet to come and he panted harder.

2D paused on the stairs. He could have sworn he heard a noise from above him. Maybe Murdoc really was sick. He swallowed hard and kept going.

Murdoc gritted his teeth against the growing pain in his jaw and head. His body heaved against itself and kept expanding, growing larger, skin getting thicker and covered in hard scales. He felt his tail extend from his spine and hit the floor with a loud thud, the hard bony spikes continuing down from his spine to the tip of his tail. The sharp side of the spade on the end had gotten stuck in the wood when it hit the floor. He tore it free just as his jaw broke itself and started to extend.

He opened his mouth and yelled in agony, the sound growing deeper as his face grew into a long reptilian snout. He had never looked at himself in a mirror when he was like this, but he knew his face was alligator-like, given the length of his snout and how his teeth hung over the end of his jaw in certain places. Blood poured from his mouth as his new teeth grew into place, pushing out the human ones. The tiny human teeth clattered to the floor like loose coins falling out of a torn coat pocket.

His eyes moved from the front of his head to the side, making room for the horns that began to push through the skin of his forehead. They were big and wicked looking, curling outwards from his forehead before dramatically swooping upwards, the points of them reaching for a Heaven he’d never get to see.

The last to emerge were his wings. He hardly felt them unfold from his shoulder blades, ribbed and scaly like the rest of him. They were heavy and awkward after months of disuse. One of them hit the floor hard and he snarled in pain, the limb still wet and aching. The other one fluttered helplessly for a while before settling on his back, rubbing against his sore spinal spikes and making him groan.

2D reached the top of the stairs, shaking. What was that yell? It sounded like Murdoc at first but then it… changed somehow. He was absolutely terrified as he knocked gently on the door.

“Muds? You a’right in there?” He whispered. No answer. An image of Murdoc collapsed on the floor unconscious flashed through his mind. He grabbed the doorknob and took a deep breath before turning it, opening the door a crack.

“Murdoc?” He froze, staring.

Murdoc was gasping for air, steam billowing from his open mouth every time he exhaled. He couldn’t catch his breath. Every single bit of him hurt and he was covered in blood and his throat was sore. The steam turned to smoke, and he tipped his head back, spouting flames with a roar. It was an anguished sound, full of pain and frustration. The piles of flesh around him sizzled and turned to ash, disappearing completely into smoke, leaving nothing but the familiar blotch of blood stained floor beneath him.

The last of his energy spent, Murdoc laid his great body down in the middle of the floor, closing his mismatched eyes and folding up his wings, willing them to stop shivering. He usually didn’t feel them when they emerged, but they always took the longest to stop hurting for some reason.

His demonic body was three times as large as his human one and twice as tall, so his breathing was much slower and heavier, coming from deep within his chest and coming out of his nose in steam-filled huffs. He was tired, so very tired…

He heard a creak outside his door and his eyes flew open again, the pupils narrowing to a slit and focusing on the clearly open door. Idiot! He hadn’t been in a state to remember to lock it! Who was spying on him…?

His nostrils flared and he smelled the person lurking outside. The harsh smell of mint made him snort, and under that, he could smell fear. He only knew one person who smelled like peppermint tea and anxiety.

He heaved a huge sigh, smoke pouring from his mouth, and closed his eyes again.

“I know you’re out there, 2D.” His voice was much deeper in this form, and he talked slower than he would in his human body. It got annoying at times. He already knew he had trouble speaking properly, so when it took him longer to get his words out, it just rubbed that little quirk in his face.

2D was plastered to the wall outside the door, willing his legs to keep him standing in case he needed to run. What the hell was going on? The voice that called out to him raised the hairs on his arms. He knew that was Murdoc, could feel it, but how—

“D… come in… please.”

The voice called again, softer… sadder. 2D stood shaking for a moment longer before moving, pushing the door open slowly, staring at the large monster in Murdoc’s room.

The first thing he thought was ‘alligator with wings’, but he looked again and saw that the thick tail had a spade at the end, and he stared at the sharp horns on Murdoc’s head. The room smelled like smoke and blood, and 2D noticed that on the floor beneath Murdoc, the mysterious stain had grown in size. He no longer had to guess what that was, he supposed.

“M-Muds, wha’… wha’ the fuck happened…” 2D eventually got his throat to work. The creature opened his eye. The double eyelid revealed a dark red iris and it trained itself on 2D, and 2D knew just from that one look that this creature, somehow, was indeed the Murdoc Niccals he had come to know over the years.

“This happens pretty often actually, if you’d believe it.” Murdoc drawled. 2D could feel the bass of Murdoc’s voice in his chest. He took a tiny step closer, wiping his sweaty hands on his jeans.

“But… what… I don’ understand… how…” The questions weren’t forming fully in his head. He just couldn’t stop staring. Murdoc had the same green skin, but now it looked rough and thick, covered in scales. From the way he was laying, 2D could see that his chest and belly were a lighter green, but were equally covered in protective scales. His horns were shiny and black like obsidian, with charcoal tips that looked sharp enough to cut 2D just by looking at them.

He jumped when Murdoc heaved himself up on shaking arms, kneeling carefully and taking a minute to breathe deeply, his armored chest expanding and contracting visibly. The thick tail that had been mostly still finally moved and curled itself around Murdoc’s knees on the floor. The way it slid across the floor, the way it sounded, made 2D think of a snake. He swallowed hard, looking at Murdoc’s face again.

Teeth. Lots of teeth. 2D remembered years ago when Murdoc’s teeth had been sharp like that; very sharp and almost black in color. As Murdoc had gotten older, his teeth more or less began to fix themselves and started to look somewhat normal. How exactly that had happened, 2D didn't know, but maybe this secret of Murdoc’s had something to do with it. The teeth 2D saw now weren’t black, but they were just as sharp and overlapped Murdoc’s jaw in a few places.

Murdoc turned his head to look at 2D directly, and 2D noticed his other eye was yellow. The heterochromia was another feature lost to the years and something that 2D hadn’t realized he had kind of missed until now. Murdoc’s piercing gaze made goosebumps rise on his arms. He rubbed at them subconsciously.

“Wha’ do you mean it happens pretty often?” 2D asked slowly. “How did you keep it a secret for so long? How did we not notice?”

Murdoc huffed and looked away again.

“You lot tend to listen to me when I tell you to leave me alone, even when it’s for days at a time.”

2D took a few more small steps, inching ever closer to Murdoc. He stopped short when Murdoc’s red eye focused on him again.

“Is tha’ why you looked so sick? Because of this?” He asked, tilting his head. Murdoc looked down at his claws, scratching some drying blood off his wrist with one.

“I have to transform regularly or it builds up. Makes me sick, and the longer I wait, the more difficult it is to break out of that small human body. I was…” he hesitated, “told… to do it once or twice a month, but I’ve been putting it off. What with the band getting big and all… couldn’t afford the time off you know.” Murdoc shrugged, looking out the big window in front of him. The vast forest that surrounded their mansion of a house looked especially tempting to him, the urge to go running through the trees almost painful. The waning gibbous moon was framed perfectly in the middle of the glass, making the forest look even more eerie.

“You weren’t supposed to see this,” Murdoc said softly, “see me like this…”

“I didn’t see much o’ what happened when I got up here,” 2D offered, “if tha’ makes you feel any better.”

Murdoc hummed but didn’t answer him. 2D got a little closer.

“How long?”

2D’s question made Murdoc cock his head. 2D licked his lips.

“How long have you been like this?” 2D elaborated. Murdoc looked thoughtful, blinking slowly.

“Not sure actually. How old was I when we first met?”

He looked down at the small human standing next to him, expecting a shocked expression and being given exactly that. 2D’s eyes were big and wide, his mouth thin. Murdoc made a noise that was half-laugh, half-cynical wheeze and looked away again.

“Twenty something years ago, wasn’t it?” He hummed to himself and looked down at his claws again.

“No matter how long it’s been, no matter many times I do this, it never gets any easier, you know...”

2D took one more step and finally found himself standing right next to Murdoc. This close, he could see dark shapes on Murdoc’s scaly hide. It took him a second to realize that they were actually his tattoos.

“Can… I say somefing?” 2D said softly, feeling the hair stand up on his arms again when Murdoc turned his head, his long snout suddenly inches from 2D’s face.

“I know you said you’ve been doin’ this a long time but… you being all calm like this is freakin’ me out a bit. You’re not usually th’ calm type.”

“Yeah that’s true. Well, you want to know why I’m so calm?” Murdoc said, blinking slowly. 2D nodded. Murdoc went back to looking out the window.

“Because,” he said, the edges of his toothy mouth tilting upward in a smile, “when I’m like this,” he inhaled deep, exhaled steam, “I can actually breathe.”

The relief in his voice hurt 2D’s heart. The impulse to reach out and touch him, offer some kind of comfort or support sat heavy in 2D’s head. He ultimately decided against it and dared to sit down on the floor. Thankfully, it wasn’t wet from the gore fest he had apparently missed. It was however a tad warm, but given how cold the house got at night, 2D found himself not minding it.

The two sat quietly for a short while before 2D spoke again.

“I told Noodle I’d come check on you, make sure you were okay,” 2D said. “What do I tell ‘er?”

“You tell her I’m okay, and… you tell her I’m sorry for yelling at her,” Murdoc answered before sighing.

“If she had touched me,” he said while looking down at his claws, “she would have gotten burned. Not only would she have been severely hurt, but my secret would have come out. I mean, I’m sure it’ll come out eventually. I mean… you know now so, they’ll probably find out sooner or later… hopefully later… I’m not ready for them to know yet.”

Murdoc cleared his throat and looked at 2D again.

“Anyways, my body is like a furnace when I'm in this form, and my scales are like hot plates.” He held out an arm and after a beat, 2D hesitantly put his hand on Murdoc’s arm. He didn’t get burned, but the scales were hot enough to make him pull his hand away fairly quickly.

“I tol’ her you probably didn’t mean it,” 2D said, hugging his knees and looking up at the demon. “I said you were prob’ly really sick. She’ll understand.”

Murdoc nodded and was quiet again, leaving 2D feeling out of place. Should he talk more? Leave Murdoc alone? He wasn’t quite sure what to do. He chewed on his lip gently.

“So all this,” 2D asked, opting for asking another question since his other questions had been answered without a fuss so far, “how did it happen? You obviously weren’t born like this, since you said it happened around the time you met me.”

Murdoc was idly scratching his neck with his claws, but paused as he thought about 2D’s question.

“So… You’ve heard me talk about selling my soul to Beelzebub, right?” He asked hesitantly. “I know most people think I’m lying, but it really is true. You can see the proof sitting in front of you right now.” He laughed dryly and shook his head.

“Cheeky bastard, the Devil. There’s always fine print, but you’re not always able to see it. Turns out when you take someone’s soul, you have to put something back into the hole you left behind, and he had taken a particular liking to me so… he gave me this demonic essence. Probably thought it was a gift.”

2D sat completely silent, hanging onto every word as Murdoc told his story.

“What he didn’t tell me about it was that it would change me, not just my soul, but completely. Mind, body, soul, all that rubbish. The first time I transformed, it was the worst thing I’ve ever experienced. I was alone. No one to help me or tell me what was going on. The pain… god, I can’t even remember it because I think I blocked it out. I didn’t know how to get my human body back, and after being stuck like that for a week or so, Satan finally showed his smug face.” Murdoc’s deep voice had dropped into nothing more than a growl.

“That’s when he explained everything to me. My human body was just a vessel now, a shell to hold in this new form, and unfortunately for me, my shell didn’t last very long. I’d have to stretch my legs so to speak, and give the vessel a break every now and again. At least once a month, he said, but I didn’t listen. I put it off and put it off, not wanting to have to go through the transformation again, and I learned real quick that it was a bad idea. I got sick, so sick, and the transformation tore me apart anyway. I was in this form for almost two weeks before I was strong enough to get my human body to reform again.”

Murdoc lay back down slowly, tucking his arms under his long jaw and letting his tail and legs stretch out behind him. His wings twitched a bit before settling again. 2D had to look over his shoulder to take in the full length of Murdoc’s body. The giant swimming pool/bathtub in the corner of the room made sense now. There’s no way Murdoc would ever fit in a regular sized bath.

“That was a long time ago of course,” Murdoc continued. “Even if I put it off for a while, like I did this time, I’ll be back to normal after a few days, four at most. It just hurts more now.”

2D was getting the urge to touch him again and just barely resisted. Something about Murdoc in this form made 2D feel more comfortable. Murdoc was talking so openly with him, being free with his secrets and his past. 2D felt closer to him, but he hesitated nonetheless. Getting comfortable felt dangerous. This was still Murdoc, and Murdoc was unpredictable even at his best, and since Murdoc seemed to be close to his worst at the moment, 2D knew better than to get comfortable.

“Are you hurtin’ righ’ now?” 2D asked, folding his hands in his lap. Murdoc’s eyes slid closed and he hummed, a bellowing noise that banged around inside 2D’s ribcage. He likened the sound to when Murdoc sat with his bass alone in the studio, sometimes just hitting the same note over and over, listening to the steady sound with his eyes closed. Of course, he didn’t know that 2D listened in sometimes, but he did, and he really liked that sound. 

“Of course I hurt. I’ll probably stay right here for the rest of the night before I even try and move anymore. You know how if you sit with your legs tucked under you for too long, it cuts off the circulation, and when you finally move, every single part of your legs just aches, so terribly that you think you might not be able to walk?”

“Yeah,” 2D said, after realizing Murdoc wasn’t going to see him nodding. Murdoc’s expression shifted a little, the ridges above his eyes pulling down into a grimace.

“My entire body feels like that. Aching and throbbing and just so damn uncomfortable.”

This time, 2D reached out and touched Murdoc, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. He didn’t jump when the glowing red eye opened and looked at him, and he didn’t move away either. The scales were still hot, but it was a pleasant heat now, like a blanket that was just pulled from the dryer.

“Sorry you’re hurtin’, Muds. You know… it means a lot tha’ you’re sharin’ all this wif me.” He licked his lips. “We… haven’t been very good friends lately.”

The eye closed again and Murdoc heaved a big sigh.

“Not just lately,” Murdoc mumbled. “I’ve never been a good friend to you, Dents, and all of my reasons for that are either excuses or shit excuses.”

It wasn’t a total apology, but the fact that Murdoc was even acknowledging their friendship situation was enough to make 2D smile.

“Well I had no idea what you were dealin’ wif, and I’m guessin’ that was part o’ the reason, so.”

Murdoc huffed, some smoke seeping out of his mouth.

“It’s still an excuse. I was a shit person to you, still am, and me sharing all of this with you doesn’t change that.” He opened his eyes and lifted his head, looking at 2D again.

“I never had friends, and I wouldn't know what to do with them if I had them. You, Noodle, and Russ… I don’t know why you lot stick around. The only person I’m actually sort of nice to is Noodle and even that’s a stretch.”

2D shrugged, putting his hand back in his lap.

“I still count myself as your friend, even when you're in a shit mood. Sometimes people have bad days, or several in a row. Don't mean you stop carin’ about ‘em. You give ‘em some space an’ check on ‘em, make sure they're okay, an’ when they're ready to come back, you just let them, y’know.”

2D’s honesty threw Murdoc off, and he found he had nothing to say in return as 2D kept speaking.

“An' I stay because o’ the music I s’pose, an’ I don’ know what I’d do if I ever left really. This is all I know.”

“That makes it sound like you have Stockholm Syndrome, 2D,” Murdoc grumbled. 2D looked very confused and just as Murdoc prepared to elaborate, 2D spoke again.

“I can’t have Stockholm, Murdoc. I’ve never been to Norway.”

Murdoc’s eyes widened, disbelief all over his face.

“No, that’s not what…”

He saw that 2D was totally serious and thought twice, shutting his mouth and shaking his head. No, you know what, he wasn’t even going to ruin this moment. It was too good and he knew he’d find a chance to bring it up later and embarrass the hell out of 2D. He chuckled a little. Luckily, 2D was pulling at a loose string in the ripped knee of his jeans, not paying much attention.

“I like my life here wif everyone. I like makin’ music. Even if we fight a lot… I don’ think I really want to leave. Sometimes I think I do, when the fightin’ gets bad… but not really… I dunno… this is my home, y’know?”

Murdoc sobered up once more, looking out the window and spotting a bat flitting around just above the tree line.

“You still hurt a lot?” 2D asked suddenly. Murdoc shrugged and looked at him.

“It doesn’t really go away,” Murdoc admitted.

“Can I do anyfing? Bring you somefing to help make it stop?”

Murdoc hummed in thought, thinking of his freezer.

“There’s nothing that will really stop it, but I do have to eat something soon. All the meat in my freezer is probably bad now, since I haven’t touched any of it in several months. I need raw meat, preferably something red.” He shrugged awkwardly.

“So, you could go to the store and get some steaks for me, I guess…”

“If it’ll help, sure,” 2D nodded and went to get up. Murdoc saying his name softly made him stop.

“I… just want to say…” Murdoc trailed off, looking at the human sitting next to him.

“I just want to say… thanks for listening,” he mumbled awkwardly. He didn't usually thank people but 2D didn't have to stay and listen to his sob story.

2D gave him a smile and Murdoc could almost imagine the light coming off of him. It made him feel awful when he realized that he had never seen 2D smile like that, and made him feel strange when he decided he liked the look of it. He found himself smiling back without realizing, and he looked away quickly when 2D looked down at his hands, color filling his pale face.

“Right well, um…” 2D said, clearing his throat. “I’ll go get those steaks for you, shall I…” He got up and dusted off his pants, walking slowly towards the door. When he got there however, he hesitated and turned back with his hand still on the knob. Murdoc was still lying down, head cushioned on his arms. He wasn’t looking at 2D, wasn’t looking at anything really. He was mostly staring off into space, glowing eyes dimmer than before. 2D felt a pang of sadness in his chest.

“I’ll come right back, Muds. Won’t be long,” he said, offering Murdoc another smile when his eyes focused on him once more. The creature on the floor heaved a big sigh and nodded (as best he could), so 2D left, closing the door quietly behind him. First, he would tell Noodle and Russel that Murdoc wasn’t dead, and then he would go to the store.

Murdoc stayed on the floor for a while longer, staring at the layer of dust that had collected on the wood floor of his room. He heaved another sigh and watched a tiny dust devil form, twirling its way towards the closed door before dying, collapsing back onto the floor. Murdoc huffed a small cloud of smoke, closing his eyes. Behind his two pairs of eyelids, he replayed the moment 2D had smiled at him, and when he had blushed, and felt his stomach flip a bit. His eyes flew back open and he rolled onto his side, rubbing the heel of his hands into his temples, groaning.

He really did like that smile, but it was probably just because he was lonely. 2D had always considered himself Murdoc’s friend, even when Murdoc was so awful to him, so the undeserved loyalty probably added to the butterflies in his stomach.

His stomach flipped again and he lay back down, covering his face with a wing and grunting. It was just because he was lonely. He'd reform his human body in a week or so, and things would go back to normal between them. He knew that wasn't true, but he told himself that anyway as he slipped into a much needed nap.

[][][][][]

2D stood in the meat section of the local 24 hour grocery store, staring down at all the steaks and packages of ground beef. His head felt like it was full of cotton candy, bright and dizzying. The last few hours didn’t feel real. He felt like he had dreamt it all, but he knew as soon as he went back home and up the stairs, he’d find Murdoc, just as big and monstrous as he had left him. He sighed and started picking out steaks. He didn’t know how many Murdoc needed, but he assumed it would be a lot.

The cashier rang up the twenty steaks with a raised eyebrow. 2D gave him a small smile that he didn’t return.

The ride in the taxi was just as awkward, but thankfully it was just because the driver had recognized him and panicked, apologizing for the silence when she dropped him off. He took a picture with her and tipped her before she left. He really liked meeting fans. It made him feel good when people enjoyed the music he made with the band.

Taking the bags of steaks in each hand, he snuck into the house, keeping an ear open for any sign of Noodle or Russel. If he could get the steaks past them without them noticing, it would save him a lot of questions he didn’t have answers to—

“What’s with all the meat?”

2D grimaced and turned around, seeing Russel standing in the hallway with a sandwich. 2D looked down at his bags and scrambled for an answer.

“Oh, these? Yes um, well you see… Murdoc asked me to get them for him. He’s got a fever, see, an’ he wants to put them under his blankets so they cool him off.”

Russel furrowed his brow and took a bite of his sandwich.

“Why didn’t he just tell you to get ice packs instead? That’s a waste of good meat.”

2D swallowed and shrugged.

“I’ve learned to not question anyfing. I just do wha’ he asks me.”

The drummer shrugged and walked past 2D, taking another bite.

“Whatever makes him happy, I guess. Still a waste if you ask me…”

2D waited until Russel had disappeared into the theater room to speed walk past, making a beeline for the stairs leading to Murdoc’s room. When he reached the top, he put the bags down and gently knocked on the door. When he got no answer, he popped the door open and picked the bags back up, pushing it the rest of the way open with his shoulder.

“Muds?”

The room was several degrees warmer now, and at first 2D thought it was because while Murdoc was sleeping, steam was slowly billowing from his nose, filling the room with haze. However, given how the air wasn’t humid like a bathhouse, it probably wasn’t that. He used his foot to shut the door behind him and walked towards Murdoc. The closer he got, the warmer the air felt, and when he came to a stop next to the great creature, he really wanted to take his sweater off. The heat was coming from Murdoc’s body. The comment about Noodle burning her hand came to mind, so 2D decided against touching him to wake him.

“Muds, wake up, I brought you food,” he said a little louder. He set the bags down and started taking his sweater off, but a deep, very familiar rumble from Murdoc made him stop. He looked down, embarrassed to see a big toothy grin on Murdoc’s face as his red eye leered at 2D.

“Really? Now, are you talking about the steaks or…” Murdoc trailed off. 2D huffed indignantly and took the sweater off completely, smoothing out his t-shirt and sitting down.

“The steaks, you wanker,” 2D chuckled, pulling the steaks from the bags and setting them down in piles. “Didn’t know how many you’d need, so I bought twen’y. Hope that’s enough.”

Murdoc slowly pushed himself into an upright position, groaning as he then forced himself into a sitting position, rough skin jumping in places from the achy pain. He sat there for a moment, eyes shut tight and body stiff, before he finally seemed to uncoil and look down at the small feast 2D had laid out for him.

“Twenty is fine for now,” Murdoc said. “I’ll need to eat more later. I wasn’t prepared for this, because otherwise I would have already done shopping. I usually buy in bulk from the slaughterhouses nearby. They all know me now. They also know not to ask too many questions, so the anonymity is nice.”

He picked a steak off the top of the pile but didn’t open it, looking at it in his hand.

“… Thank you, D,” he finally said. “I know this all has to be so weird to you, but you’re handing it pretty well I’d say.”

2D shrugged and started pulling at the fray in his jeans again.

“You’re welcome…” He said quietly, looking up when he noticed Murdoc wasn’t eating. “Not hungry anymore?” He asked. Murdoc looked uncomfortable.

“I am, but… it ain’t pretty when I eat, when I’m like this you know.”

2D couldn’t help but smile.

“Come on. Can’t be any worse than how you normally eat.”

Murdoc’s mouth pulled back into a full smile, and 2D had to admit, seeing all of those teeth exposed was pretty terrifying, but his joke had been well received and that was the important part.

“Fuck off, I’m not that messy,” Murdoc snorted.

“Yes you are. You always make a fuckin’ mess, every single time,” 2D replied, smiling wider. Murdoc leaned down into his space and he leaned away on instinct, but Murdoc just kept grinning.

“You wanna see messy, Dents? I’ll show you messy,” Murdoc growled, picking up several more of the steaks. 2D watched with mixed fascination and horror as Murdoc shoved the handful in his mouth, powerful jaws making quick work of the plastic wrap and Styrofoam trays, exposing the juicy meat inside. The blood from the steaks dribbled from between his teeth and down his throat. He swallowed noisily, grabbing more steaks and gobbling those down as well.

Fuck, Murdoc hadn’t realized how hungry he was until he bit into that first steak, and now he couldn’t stop himself. Any sort of manners he had, bad or otherwise, went out the window, and the animalistic urges set in. Before he knew it, the steaks were history and he was licking the blood from his claws and hands frantically. The slurping mixing with his guttural noises of pleasure made for an interesting sound, and he was thoroughly embarrassed when he finally came back to himself, avoiding looking at 2D.

“I do believe tha’ was the messiest I’ve seen yet,” 2D said weakly. “Well done.”

The light joke made Murdoc relax again and he was more than relieved to see a smile on 2D’s face when he finally looked at him.

“I have to say,” 2D said, running a hand through his hair, “I didn’t really expect you t’ eat the trays too.”

Murdoc shrugged, rubbing a hand over his throat, smearing the blood mostly.

“I’ll be alright. Honestly I could eat the concrete out of these walls and be fine while I’m like this. Got sulfur for stomach acid really.”

“Must be killer when you get heartburn,” 2D mumbled introspectively. Murdoc laughed and shook his head.

“You sure have a lot of jokes tonight,” he said, giving up on cleaning the blood from his neck. He’d take a bath in a little while and really scrub himself clean.

“It’s a learned stress response really,” 2D said with a shrug, regretting it a bit when he saw Murdoc grimace. They both knew what he meant by that…

2D jumped when Murdoc suddenly moved and got up, staring up at him as the various parts of him moved and stretched. Murdoc’s tail still touched the ground, but when he turned and started walking away, the tail lifted just enough to not drag. His wings sat loosely folded against his back, the tips of them sitting below his hips.

Scientifically, Murdoc seemed mostly alligator to 2D, at least in the way he moved; slow precise movements, nearly soundless footsteps in spite of his huge size, his eyes at half-mast and cat-like. If 2D had been asked to think of an animal that best represented Murdoc, he wouldn’t have originally thought of an alligator, but seeing him as he was now, even with the added wings and horns, it suited him.

This calm giant came out in Murdoc’s human form sometimes and 2D knew that because he recognized him now. 2D saw him when Murdoc was alone with his bass, and he saw him when the band had their rare moments together, like when they actually agreed on something and were getting along. Murdoc was certainly more manic than anything, but when he actually settled down, the calm feeling that came with it was heavy, and 2D knew where it came from now.

His quiet contemplations were interrupted when he heard the sound of running water. He physically shook himself out of it and saw that Murdoc had started the water in his huge bathtub.

“Uh, Muds, what’re you doin’?” He asked, standing up. Murdoc looked at him, eyes now slitted and bored.

“Taking a bath, what’s it look like?”

“W-with me here?” 2D stumbled, feeling his face heat up. “I could leave if you want.”

The demon rolled his eyes, holding a claw under the faucet.

“It’s not like I’m wearing clothes anyway. I just want to get this blood off of me. Don’t make it weird.”

2D covered his face, groaning.

“It wasn’t weird until you said that.”

He didn’t need to think about the fact that he had basically been sitting there having a heart to heart with a naked Murdoc. He absolutely did not need that in his head.

“You’re such a prude, D,” Murdoc chuckled, and from behind his hands, 2D heard the sound of the bathtub water being disturbed. Giving up completely, 2D let his hands drop, seeing Murdoc floating on his belly in the steaming water. 2D approached hesitantly, sitting down near the edge of the bath.

“I am not,” 2D mumbled, tucking his legs under him. Murdoc lazily opened his eyes, and 2D shivered a little.

“You know you really look like an alligator when you do that.”

“I know. That’s why I did it,” Murdoc chuckled, sinking beneath the surface so just his eyes and snout showed. 2D chuckled as he resurfaced.

“The horns and wings throw it off, otherwise I’d believe you really were a gator.”

“Did you just say ‘gator’?” Murdoc snorted. 2D smiled sheepishly.

“I’ve been watchin’ a lot o’ American programs lately. That’s wha’ they call ‘em sometimes.”

Murdoc snorted again, closing his eyes once more. 2D watched him for a moment longer, chewing over his next words carefully.

“I know all o’ this is hard on you,” he said quietly, getting Murdoc’s attention, “bu’ I want you to know that I’m here, an’ I’ll be here every time it happens from now on, if you’ll let me, because you shouldn’t have to deal wif it alone.”

Murdoc watched him quietly before chuckling, bubbles coming up from where his mouth was submerged.

“Stop it, D, or I might just fall in love with you,” he (half) joked. 2D gave him a small smile, and the touch of sadness in it surprised Murdoc.

“No you won’t. I’m not your type,” 2D stated. Murdoc lifted his head from the water, looking at 2D fully.

“How do you know?”

2D’s black eyes stared at him, almost into him, before the man looked down, pulling at that damned hole in his jeans again.

“I just do,” he mumbled, and Murdoc let it go for now, settling back into the water. The small silence that ensued wasn’t awkward so much as it was heavy. Taking more of a chance than he was usually comfortable with, Murdoc spoke, purposefully keeping his eyes closed.

“Well. Stranger things have happened.”

2D stared down at the beast in the bath and, seeing that Murdoc’s eyes were closed, let himself smile. He didn’t think he was in love with Murdoc, but he couldn’t really say that his feelings for him were strictly platonic either. 2D’s feelings for his bassist were complicated and filled with lots of pain for sure, but there was always an underlying feeling of warmth when he looked at Murdoc, and try as he had to kill it over the years, it always refused to die.

“True,” he finally said, pulling his knees up to his chest and putting his head on them, watching Murdoc float, “stranger things have happened.”

The ends of Murdoc’s mouth tipped up and he said nothing. He figured he didn’t really need to say anything else.


End file.
